2020 Budget, the Future of Gov’t Work and more

Trump Releases Budget Proposal

President Trump has unveiled his 2020 budget proposal, calling for domestic spending cuts of 5 percent across the federal government. The White House, in Trump’s latest budget, would turbo-charge defense spending while providing $8.6 billion to fund his proposed southern border wall. The proposal would raise overall defense spending to $750 billion, up from $716 billion in 2019, while slashing non-defense programs to $567 billion, down from the $597 billion allocated in 2019. READ MORE from The Hill.

Register Now for NDTA and CNU’s Conference on America’s Ports

NDTA and Christopher Newport University’s (CNU) Center for American Studies present the Conference on America’s Ports: Supporting Our National Military Objectives. The event will take place April 30-May 2, 2019 at CNU in Newport News, Virginia. Find more information and register now at www.ndtahq.com/events/conference-on-americas-ports/.

Government & Military News

Automated Trucking: Federal Agencies Should Take Additional Steps to Prepare for Potential Workforce Effects (US Government Accountability Office [GAO]) Automated vehicle technology may eventually make commercial trucking more efficient and safer, but it also has the potential to change the employment landscape for nearly 1.9 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, among others. Now a new GAO study is examining the potential workforce effects of automated trucking. READ MORE

The US Army is Preparing for Major Changes to Force Structure (Defense News) The Army is preparing to make what it deems as necessary, and major, organizational changes to its force structure within the next five years, according to the Futures and Concepts Center director. READ MORE

Infrastructure Bill Seen as Difficult to Pass Amid Funding Disputes (Bloomberg) House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said passage of legislation to improve US infrastructure isn’t likely this year without a consensus that includes President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans over how to pay for it. READ MORE

Air Force Looks to Build ‘Big Idea Pipeline’ to Expand Industrial Base (Federal News Network) The Air Force spends north of $40 billion on acquisition and R&D each year. But, while that sounds like plenty of money to sustain a healthy and competitive industrial base, those dollars tend to be concentrated on only a handful of major system. READ MORE

TRANSCOM Working to Defer KC-135 Retirement as Delays with KC-46 Continue (Defense News) US Transportation Command is making preparations to push back the retirement of some KC-135 tankers due to delays in receiving the Air Force’s newest aerial refueling plane, the KC-46. READ MORE

Industry News

5 IoT Lessons Taken from the Logistics industry (TechRepublic) Technology drives business strategy now more than ever—and nowhere is this more apparent than in the logistics industry. Virtually every industry sector can learn from the success that logistics companies have experienced with IoT and analytics. READ MORE

Uncertain Trucking Industry Faces New Labor Laws, Court Rulings (Trucks.com) A year of important court rulings and the adoption of new laws that challenge cornerstones of the trucking industry such as its reliance on independent contractors and arbitration have left businesses uncertain about labor relations. READ MORE

Could Fuel Cells Soon Be Used in Ship Propulsion? (Ship Technology) Swiss technological giant ABB recently partnered with SINTEF, one of Europe’s largest independent research organizations, to test the viability of fuel cells as an energy source for ship propulsion. The project seeks to find out how this technology can be scaled to power passenger and cargo ships. READ MORE

7 Supply Chain Financing Trends to Watch in 2019 (Supply Chain Management Review) As the world’s supply chains become more complex, the financial infrastructures that support them are evolving in new and interesting ways. Whether it’s opening up the opportunities to a wider swath of companies, incorporating blockchain into the process, or helping supply chain managers become superheroes, supply chain financing is doing its part to support transactions around the globe. READ MORE

China to Introduce New Generation of Driverless Trains in 2020 (CNN) A new, faster generation of driverless magnetic levitation trains is set to debut in China as early as 2020, according to state media. But those dreaming of eye-wateringly fast, record-breaking bullet trains will have to sit tight. READ MORE

Member Highlights

The Future of Work in Government (Deloitte) Technology and new talent models are transforming the way the world works. Here’s how government leaders can navigate the transformation of work in the public sector. READ MORE

United has Good News for Flyers with Tight Layovers (Travel Weekly) United is testing a data tool that informs the airline if flights can be held to accommodate connecting passengers who are running late. READ MORE

Delivering the Future: FedEx Unveils Autonomous Delivery Robot (FedEx) FedEx has announced a development in cutting-edge delivery solutions to meet the rapidly changing needs of consumers—the FedEx SameDay Bot—an autonomous delivery device designed to help retailers make same-day and last-mile deliveries to their customers. READ MORE

How to Plan for Supply Chain Disruptions (AmeriJet) Globalization has a dramatic impact on strategic sourcing and how the supply chain is managed, but few organizations take the time to protect themselves against supply chain disruptions. Amerijet International Airlines offers tips for guarding against disruptions. READ MORE

NDTA News & Events

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